It was... only God knows, how many thousands of years ago...
From out of Poseidon, the island or continet,
Raised the summits of its sovereign hills
Over the point of the West.
It was immense, beautiful flourishing...
A vast, fantastic, legendary world.
According to the most ancient of traditions,
It was populated, filled with millions,
And if we are top believe Diodorus Siculus,
The land of Arsinarius was visible in the distance.
(praise song to the Islands of Cape Verde)
Jose Lopes (1872 - 1962) Cape Verde
Translated by Luis R. Mitras
Source: Cape Verde: language, literature & music by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture
- Diodorus Siculus - or Diodorus of Sicily - was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history Bibliotheca historica (c.30BC)
- Arsinarius - ancient name for Cape Verde and used in Luís Vas de Camões' epic poem The Lusiad which Lopes greatly admired, e.g. see his poem Camões on this site,
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